Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

While Zhang Da braved the cold to travel to Sanya Road, deep in the Funiu Mountains of Lushi County, the old camp of the rebel leader was bustling with activity.

This stockade, built against the mountain, stretches for over ten miles. Li Zicheng, amidst it all, stands on an earthen slope outside the central command tent, draped in a worn black felt cloak. Gazing down at the densely packed camps and rising smoke, his face is ashen, as if the very fuel that produces the smoke is his own lifeblood, causing him immense anguish.

Whether it was snow or rain falling in the mountains, Li Zicheng was completely unaware of it.

Those who have the world in their hearts would not care about such trivial matters.

The humiliating defeat at Tongguan South Plain six months ago was still fresh in his mind. If it weren't for his trusted confidants risking their lives to protect him, he would have been torn to pieces long ago.

But who could have imagined that in just six months, the world would be turned upside down?

In just a few months, he went from being a stray dog ​​to becoming the King of Chuang, and his forces grew to more than 30,000. He even captured five counties: Lushi, Songxian, Luanchuan, Luoning, and Yiyang, seizing countless grains and weapons, becoming a giant bandit capable of shaking the foundation of the Ming Dynasty in the Central Plains!

At this moment, the rebel army was strong and well-equipped, and their momentum was overwhelming.

In terms of troop strength, provisions, territory, and popular support, he was at the peak of his power since he started his rebellion. Looking across the entire Henan province, no government army could rival him head-on.

Anyone else would have been complacent and arrogant long ago.

But Li Zicheng was not happy at all.

After all, the disastrous defeat at Tongguan and Nanyuan had become a mental block for Li Zicheng.

Rebellion is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind; if you don't become strong, you decline.

There were other factors that worried Li Zicheng.

The army is bloated with ineffective troops, and its combat capabilities are uneven.

Military discipline was lax, posing numerous hidden dangers.

Although the supplies of food and military equipment seemed plentiful, they could not withstand the depletion of resources during a prolonged war.

Finally, morale was low and the soldiers were arrogant and restless.

After capturing five counties in succession without encountering any significant resistance, many of his generals became arrogant and overconfident, believing the Ming army to be easily defeated. They advocated an immediate eastward advance to attack Luoyang, seize the Prince of Fu's vast wealth, and secure the Central Plains in one battle. Liu Zongmin, one of his subordinates, repeatedly requested permission to lead the attack, clamoring to capture Luoyang in one fell swoop, take the Prince of Fu alive, and enjoy riches…

It's unbelievable that such foolish words came from the mouth of a skilled and experienced general.

This gives us an idea of ​​the extent to which the corrupt practices within the military had reached...

Attacking Luoyang would only repeat the mistakes made at Tongguan and Nanyuan.

If not Luoyang, where should we attack?

Now that they have occupied the mountains of western Henan, continuing to attack small county towns would be too slow and wouldn't be enough to keep up with the army's demand for food and weapons...

Luoyang is untenable, and the small county town can't satisfy my appetite...

Li Zicheng already had the answer in his mind.

Nanyang, an important town

Whether considering terrain, troop strength for defense, or supplies and manpower, Nanyang is the best target!

Attack! Attack Nanyang, and a complete victory is essential.

Li Zicheng took a deep breath, wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, and turned to enter the central command tent.

Inside the tent, core generals such as Liu Zongmin, Li Guo, Tian Jianxiu, Gao Yigong, and Li Shuangxi were already lined up on both sides, while strategists Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze sat to one side. Upon his entry, they all bowed in greeting.

"Greetings to the Rebel King!"

In reality, they don't have that many rules when discussing matters, and their greetings are never this careful and respectful.

Just now, during the meeting, Li Zicheng was displeased when he heard half of the people in the tent suggest that he attack Luoyang, so he left the tent to get some fresh air.

"Please continue your discussion, everyone. If you have anything to say, please speak up."

A silence fell over the tent. After what had just happened, everyone remained silent, afraid of angering Li Zicheng again.

Liu Zongmin, who had been the most vocal in his calls to attack Luoyang, angered Li Zicheng. At the urging of the crowd, he stepped forward first, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and shouted loudly...

"Your Majesty, I had some wine before the meeting and uttered some boastful and incoherent words. I hope Your Majesty will forget what I just said and reconsider where to attack."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng nodded slowly, his expression softening somewhat. Seeing that their leader was indeed angry about this, the generals laughed and scolded Liu Zongmin, refuting his claim that Luoyang couldn't be attacked, and then offered their own reasons.

"Luoyang is a fortified city with deep moats and tight defenses by the government troops. Liu Zongmin, you son of a bitch, go climb up the city wall and attack it yourself!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Our army has many new recruits who are not good at attacking cities. If we fail to capture the city after a long siege, Yang Sichang's main force will return, and Zuo Liangyu and He Renlong's elite troops will surround the city. The consequences would be unimaginable, especially since Tongguan is..."

Mentioning Tongguan South Plains caused the tent to fall silent once more, and the generals' faces showed a rare look of apprehension. For a moment, none of them dared to suggest which areas to attack.

Before long, the strategist Niu Jinxing personally asked...

"What does the rebel leader intend for our army to attack next?"

"Next, our army will devote all its strength to attacking Nanyang in the south!"

Li Zicheng stared intently at Nanyang on the map, very confident.

The generals then looked at the map and carefully analyzed it. After a moment, whether they suddenly understood or were simply trying to be opportunistic, they all agreed with Li Zicheng's plan.

"Nanyang is poorly defended and its military strength is weak. Our 30,000 troops will launch a full-scale attack and we will surely capture it in one battle!"

"Taking Nanyang would allow our army to advance and retreat freely, securing a vital passage to the Central Plains, which is far more secure than attacking Luoyang!"

"The rebel leader's foresight is truly admirable!"

Seeing that no one objected, Li Zicheng smugly gestured for everyone to quiet down before he began to arrange his troops.

"Liu Zongmin is ordered to lead the vanguard and immediately break camp to Neixiang and Xixia Pass to contain the enemy, launch repeated feint attacks to disrupt their morale and blunt their advance, while awaiting the arrival of the main force!"

Liu Zongmin clasped his hands in acceptance of the order: "This subordinate obeys! I will hold Chen Yongfu's troops at all costs and await the main force!"

"Li Guo led four thousand cavalry, the main force of the northern route, departing from Lushi and heading straight for the Sanya Pass in Nanzhao, tearing open the northern defense line and opening a passage for the main army!"

"Tian Jianxiu, you will lead your troops to protect the army's provisions and supplies, and advance slowly with the main force of the central army, stationing yourself in the Luanchuan and Lushi areas to ensure a safe rear. At the same time, gather the scattered soldiers and pacify the newly surrendered refugees. There must be no failures!"

"Gao Yigong, you will lead 2,500 men as the eastern flank, feigning an attack on Ruzhou and Lushan to tie down the government troops east of Nanyang and prevent them from returning to reinforce Nanyang. Once the main force has captured Nanyang, you will then lead your troops south to join them!"

…………

"Mr. Niu, Mr. Song, we trouble you both to accompany the main force of the central army, to advise on military affairs, to appease the people, and to rectify military discipline."

Thus, in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the 30,000-strong army was deployed.

After receiving their orders, the generals were all in high spirits, eager to fight, and ready to lead their troops out.

Just as the generals were about to leave, Li Zicheng suddenly raised his hand, signaling everyone to wait a moment.

He frowned slightly, his gaze falling once more on Luoyang on the map, and remained silent.

Something just doesn't feel right.

Logically, with such a tight and comprehensive defense, Nanyang should have fallen. Yet, for some reason, Li Zicheng remained uneasy.

What if Luoyang sends troops to aid Nanyang?

In case Prince Fu is afraid of death and worried that if the alliance ends, the alliance will be lost, so he might take out money to reward the army.

What if Wang Shaoyu wants to gain merit and is greedy for military achievements;

In case Li Xianfeng is afraid of taking responsibility and dares not sit idly by.

What if these three intend to send troops to support Nanyang?

War is a matter of vital importance to the State; it is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

Wasn't the disastrous defeat at Tongguan South Plain due to our carelessness and underestimation of the enemy, which led to our encirclement by the government troops?

The generals met the rebel king

Seeing Li Zicheng's hesitation, Song Xianze slowly rose, walked to Li Zicheng's side, and softly asked:

"The rebel leader looks worried. Is he concerned that the government troops in Luoyang might launch a surprise attack on our rear?"

Li Zicheng, still haunted by the Battle of Tongguan, immediately nodded.

"Although Mr. Song's troops in Luoyang are incompetent and corrupt, what if they become desperate and resort to desperate measures..."

Upon hearing this, Song Xianze stroked his beard and chuckled, then slowly said...

"Why should the King of Chuang worry about such a trivial matter?"

Li Zicheng disliked these strategists' cryptic talk and quickly asked, "Mr. Song, what brilliant plan do you have? Tell me quickly!"

Song Xianze pointed to Luoyang and Ruzhou on the map and said in a deep voice...

"The rebel leader just ordered General Gao Yigong to lead his troops in a feigned attack on Ruzhou, creating the impression of advancing eastward to Luoyang. This plan is excellent, but not enough. We might as well turn the tables and spread the word that our army is going to advance eastward with all its might, capture Luoyang, capture Prince Fu alive, and seize billions of dollars in wealth!"

"At the same time, have General Gao Yigong raise more flags to create a false impression of strength, and have him train day and night in the Ruzhou and Yiyang areas, making it seem as if a large army is gathering and about to attack Luoyang. Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, in Luoyang is greedy and cowardly. Hearing that our army is going to attack Luoyang, he will surely be terrified and forcibly order Wang Shaoyu and Li Xianfeng to defend Luoyang to the death, forbidding them from sending any troops out, only seeking to protect their own wealth and status. How could he dare to be distracted by the need to rescue Nanyang?"

After hearing this, Li Zicheng slammed his hand on the table in admiration and shouted a loud...

"Wonderful!"

It could even lull the Nanyang government troops into a false sense of security, relaxing their defenses on the southern front. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

"A brilliant plan! What a masterful feint and bluff! Mr. Song is truly my Zhang Liang!"

With his rear secured, he could focus all his efforts on attacking Nanyang without any worries about the rear!

"Let's do as Mr. Song plans!" Li Zicheng immediately ordered, "Gao Yigong, your troops will raise more flags and make a show of force, spreading the word that our main force is advancing eastward to Luoyang. We must make the Luoyang government troops believe it to be true, so they will defend Luoyang to the death and dare not send troops!"

"The rest of the generals, return to your respective units immediately, reorganize your troops, and prepare to depart. Three days later, the entire army will march out to attack Nanyang!"